MS HUG

[Valerie64]

I've been reading up on the MS Hug and I'm wondering if this might be what I've started experiencing over the last couple weeks - it's happened 4 times so far at random, same symtpoms each time varying length of time

the worst one was first thing in the morning - when I got out of bed I was fine but by the time I got downstairs into the kitchen I had a pain across my rib cage under my boobs, I thought it was indigestion at first but I hadn't eaten anything since around 8.00 pm the night before, it's hard to describe but it does feel like somone was pressing my ribs, lasted roughly 20 minutes

I also have the feeling my my head has a band round it - could this be same thing or maybe another symtom, sometimes head feels heavy and I want to lie down before it falls off - sounds daft doesn't it?

one good thing - my legs are starting to cooperate again, not exactly skipping but I am mobile again!!

Val

[jensequitur]

I think the MS hug comes in two varieties - paresthesia and muscle spasms.  I've never had the feeling of banding around the torso, but I have had muscle spasms across the torso from front to back.  

[Valerie64]

thanks for that - had a look at both, both mention burning sensation with the pressure and that's what i had, I'm adding it to my list as it's a few days since I experienced it and i always forget once a symptom eases off

Val x

[doublevision1]

I'll try this again with a few more spaces.  If it doesn't work I'll send it to your Inbox.

www health central com / multiple -s clerosis/c/ 67078/67113/ ms-hug

[doublevision1]

I have experienced the hug at the height of my most severe relapse, two years ago.  It did not come on suddenly, or come and go over a period of time.  It started as a mild pressure on my ribcage and steadily increased to the point of severe tension around my entire truck, front and back.  My breathing was shallow as it seemed impossible to get a deep breath.  I seemed to run out of breath if I talked for very long.  It worsened after a large meal but otherwise was a constant sensation over  a few weeks until IV steroids kicked in.  

I have had 2 flares since then but neither included the hug.  My MRI has never indicated lesions in my T-spine, however in his report, my neurologist included in his description of that early attack "...thoracic in nature" or something like that.  He described the hug to me as paresthesias, or come to think of it, dysesthesias was the word he used.

Here are a couple of resources on this topic.  Remember to put the DOTs back in when you copy the URLs.

www ************* com/multiple-sclerosis/c/67078/67113/ms-hug

www nationalmssociety org/about-multiple-sclerosis/symptoms/pain/index.aspx

Good luck at your dr appt this week, I hope you get some relief soon from this nasty symptom.

[Valerie64]

I've not had a spinal mri so I'm not sure if there are any lesions there but the Dr I seen in my neuro Dept before Xmas thought the recent wobbly leg episode may have been due to that - all ifs and maybes at the moment but I am seeing my neurologist on Friday...

thanks Kathy and Dalle36 - always makes me feel better to know I'm not the only one with these symptoms, I do have a slight prolapse disc at C3 (or 2?) and I know some of the symptoms are due to that

Val x

[Dalle36]

I have had this feeling of pressure right at the bottom of ribcage. Could this be the MS hug. Not as much pain but definitely makes me uncomfortable.

[Fluffysmom]

Hi, I've recently gotten over some horrid head pain, so I thought I'd look up the muscles of the head, to see if that could explain something for all of us.

I found information about tension headaches, and on that page, if you click on the thumbnail pictured labeled tension headache, it shows more clearly the muscles of the head.

My PCP had the opinion that mine was from stress, possibly from my neck muscles tightening up.  I've been meaning to look this up, so thanks for bringing it up and reminding me, Val!

I'm glad that your legs are behaving themselves, too.

Oh, I've had the band around my chest pain, actually feels like muscles spasms between my ribs some of the time.  It can make it difficult to breath, and I'm really never comfortable in a bra; that's the first thing to come off when I come home, lol.

I don't have a thoracic lesion, though I've had a radiologist and two different doctors mention that there is a patchy area; definitely something, but no neurologist has mentioned it as important.  

Take care,

Kathy

[essdipity]

Hi, Val. It's good to hear your legs are improving. Hope that keeps up!

As to the MS hug, what you describe sounds very much like this so-called hug, though each patient's experience of it will differ. That crushing feeling is awful, I know.

I've read a lot about the hug (hah!) that doesn't make sense to me. It is generally attributed to spasms in the muscles attached to the ribs, caused by a lesion or lesions in the thoracic spine. Do you happen to know whether you have such a lesion?

Muscle spasms are just plain painful, so to me they represent a normal response, just as touching a hot iron does. The movement of the muscles is abnormal and due to CNS disease, but the response isn't. So I keep wondering why the hug is also called a paresthesia, which is a sensory disturbance when nothing is actually wrong. The hug seems to me to be one or the other, but it can't be both.

I know this is more than what you asked, and maybe wanted to know ;-)  but I'm hoping others will pick up on this and comment.

As for the band around your head, I don't even know if that's possible ffom a muscular standpoint, so I would guess it's a paresthesia.

ess